davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
A RErRnspEcr

Missouri having been secured to the Union,
the principal field of activity was transferred
to Kentucky and Tennessee, and Maj Gen.
Halleck placed in chief command of all the
armies in the valley of the Mississippi, with
headquarters at st. Louis. These included
the army of the Ohio, Gen. Don Carlos Buell.;
the army of the Tennessee, Gen. Grant; the
army Of the Mississippi, Gen. Pope, and that
Of Gen. s. X. Curtis, in southwestern Mis-
souri,. This was in February, 1862. Gen. w.
r. Sherman was posted at Paducah for the
purpose of facilitating operations on the Ten
nessee and Cumberland rivers, and in the
meantime was organizing out Of tho new
troops arriving there division for himself
when he should be allowed to take the field
by Gen. Halleck. The latter thus had sub
ject to his general orders an aggregate of
125, 900 men of oil arms.
The Confederate line of defense extended
EAST and west. from Columbus on the Missis-
sippi, to Bowling Green Forts Donelson and
Henry being near the center) The depart
ment was under the command of Gen. Albert
Sidney Johnston, a distinguished officer of tho
old army and lifelong friend aud conf
dante of jefferson Davis. His forces con-
sisted of 5000 electives, of whom 1000 wero
with him at Bowling Green; $4,000 under the
bishop general, Leonidas Polk, at Columbus
and neighborhood; and the remainder at Forts
Henry and Donelson, Gainesville and else.
where, under command of Gems. Buclmer.
Rushrod II. johnson, Pillow and Floyd. The
capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, having
shattered the Confederate line, the evacuation
of Columbus, Bowling Green and Nashville,
followed, and with the fall of Island Number
10, New Madrid, and the opening of the Mis-
sissippi to Fort Pillow, the national authority
was established over the whole of the state OF
Kentucky, and Tennessee became thorough
fare for both army and fleet. 1t was a
splendid series of successes and Grant stepped
at once into national fame.
Johnston and Beauregard now retired
southwark, it being evident TO the military
mind that the Memphis and Charleston rail
road between Memphis and Chattanooga
would constitute the new line, and that tho
concentration of troops must therefore take
place somewhere in that vicinity. But wherel
The answer was problem to the command
ers on both sides.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
WAS 1T A SURPRISED

Whether oil this rapid movement SO soon
after the sounding Of the long roll along the
national front, was surprise, in a strictly
military sense, is still among the many con-
troverted questions connected with the battle
LOSING in his History Of the Civil War"
says:
Many OF the officers were yet slumbering
others were dressing, others were washing or
cooking. Their guns were unloadcd and accou-
trements strewn around without order. Many OF
the troops were without sufficient supply of am.
inunition, The first intimation that the Confed
crates were close upon them In force was the cry
of the flying picxets pushing into camp, and the
scream and crash OF shells and the whis<le OF
balls as they few on deadly errands through the
tents and the forest. II was an unexpected as
sault followed by the most fearful results.
Gen. Buell., in his "Shiloh Reviewed, y SAYS:
have only 70 remark that each revival OF tho
question of surprise has placed the fact in more
glaring light. The enemy was known to be ut
hand, but no adequate steps were taken to ascer.
tain In what force or with what design. The call
10 arms blended with the crash Ct assault, and
when the whole forest on the rising ground in
front flashed with the CLEAN of bayonets. then Cen
Sherman, as he reports, became satisfied for the
first Time that the enemy designed determined at.
tack. $500 ~ 4 = : = /.
John s. G. Abbott says:
Oficers were awakened BY the crash OF shot and
shell through their tents, and others were never
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
SHILOH.
How the Men of the West Organ
lied for Victory.
STRIKING FIRST BLOWS.
An Impartial Story OF One of the
Decisive Battles of the War.

A Bioody Fieid-The Desperate Fighting
OF Sherman's Men-Prentiss and WAL
lace Hold tho Key of the Position
Until One Is Captured and the Other
mander-scenes OF Splendid Murder.
Veterans in Camp and Raw Recruits
Under Fire-niinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Ohio and Michigan Troops Taco tho
Best Fighting Material In the South
west--The Days Results.
Twenty-Five years have rolled by since the
desperate struggle occurred that. on the 9th
and 18th of April, 1862, broke down the chief
barrier to the Mississippi valley and paved
the way for the occupation by the national
forces of every important point between
Memphis and New Orleans. Yet even after
this long period, it is stil conceded that the
battl of Shiloh, notwithstanding its far
reaching results, was move upon tho mill
tary chess board not contemplated by the
authorities ON either side until very short
time prior to the beginning of the combat.
Gen. Sherman says in his memoirs that
"Halleck's intentions were to break. up rail-
way communications between the Mississippi
our lamps because we had no orders
to do so, ard because such q course
would naturally have made our raw men
timiti." Gen. Buell. testifes that "thc move
ment of troops up tho Tennessee was purely
an expeditionary service, and after some
attempts to debarlS at other points further
up the river, Pittsburgh Landing was finally
chosen as tho most eligible for the temporary
objects" and, finally, Gen. Beauregard, in q
recent review of the campaign, remarks: ITO
say that any one, including Cen Johnston
and myself, had thought of Corinth, and
could have designated it as the strategic
point of the Shiloh campaign, before tho
enemy had given evidence of any hostile
movements from OF near Pittsburg Landing
on the Tennessee river, is sheer folly, and
scarcely needs contradiction to be SO pro-
nounced."
1t is also beyond question that there were
inadequate preparations, unnecessary delays,
lost opportunities and sundIy other obstacles
to really decisive success on both sides; and
for a quarter OF a century, they have been
themes of recrimination and exculpatory
statements, with no other result than to re-
vive and confirm the memory of faults.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

forty-sixth ONO, GEN. BEAUREGARD.
and Forticth Illinois, battered like heroes
against the enemys extreme left, but the re-
suit was as before, recession to the left and
rear. The brigade of Col. Marsh, which in
cluded the Eleventh, Twentieth, Forty fifth
and Forty-eighth Illinois, was subjected to
one of the hottest onslaughts OF the day. In
five minutes nearly all of the field officers
were killed or wounded, together with all the
horses of Burrows battery which was posted
on his center. The first brigade also retired
in disorder. Tho third brigade, enfiaded and
turned on its left flank did the same, and its
commander, Col. Raith, was MORALLY
wounded. When the division reformed its
right still connected with Sherman while
the left was protected by the ravines
and impenetrable thickets that interviewed
between it and the division of w. II.
l.. Wallace. Tho struggle continued
with varying success until late in the after
noon. At one time McClernand pushed the
enemy half a mile through and beyond his
camp, but the advantage was only temporary.
Fresh assaults forced him still further rear
wnrd, where he received the flIlal attack mado
that day on the Federal right The resist
ance was gallant, obstinate and worthy of the
men who made it, and when it was over they
went into bivouac for the night.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

Before referring to the above map for more
exact details Of positions and localities, the
reader viii be assisted by bearing in mind the
figure of quadrilateral or parallelogram, the
right side of which is tho Tennessee river
flowing nearly due north, the upper or north
side Owl creek, and the lower or south side
Lick creek, both of these streams flowing
toward the Tennessee river in a northeasterly
direction, and being from three to five miles
apart. Near their mouth were swamps filed
with bacliwater from the Tennessee and i'm
passable except where the road crosses them.
The inclosed space was a rolling table land
about 100 feet above the river level, with
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

M.
ing at some point on the line, but seldom at all
points at the same time 1t was case of south
ern dash against northern pluck and endurance.
Gen. W. T. Sherman, in his memoirs, says:
It was publicly asserted at the north that our
army was taken completely by surprise; that the
rebels caught us in our tents; bayonetted the
men in their beds; that Gen. Grant was drunk;
that Buells opPortune arrival saved the Army OF
reports were in q measure, sustained by the pub
lishod opinions OF Gems Buell., Nelson and others,
who had reached the steamboat landing from the
east just before nightfall, when there was large
crowd of frightened, stampeded men who clam
ored and declared that our army was all de-
stroyed and beaten. Personally l saw Gen.
Grant, who with his staff visited me
about 10 a. m. on the 9Th, when we were des-
perately engaged. But we had then checked
the headlong assault of the enemy and then
held our ground. He told me that on his way up
from Crump's landing he had ordered Lew Wal
lacos division to cross over Snake creek so as TO
come up on my right. He also came again just
before dark and described the last assault made
by the rebels at the ravine near the steamboat
landing, which he had repealed by heavy bat
terry collected under Col j. ID. Webster and other
officers and he was convinced that the battle was
over for that day. He ordered me to be ready TO
assume the offensive in the morning, saying that
as he had observed at Fort Donelson ct the crisis
of the battle, both sides seemed defeated, and
whoever assumed the offensive was sure to win.
1t is undoubtedly true that the attack on
the raw troops produced panic, which moro
or less infected other commands, but when the
Icul ueuJn BTupplc OcCufTeu Win NeueIdIS
like those Of Wallace, Hurlbut and McCler-
Dard tho splendid men from Indiana, Hi
nois, Iowa and elsewhere in the west, who
had been hardened in tho service, the des-
perate resistance that was made and tho
varying fortunes of the fight demonstrated
that the unexpected assault was not neces-
tsarily "a walk over" The broken character
of the ground, the frequently disordercd lines
and shifting positions Of the day, make it inn
possible to present hero more than PAN
oramic view of the battle.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

and Buell. met at Sherman's headquarters,
and it was there arranged that the attack
should be begun ut daylight. Gen. Lew Wal
lace occupied the right of line, resting on
Snake creek; Sherman, McCleinand and
Hurlbut, with the remnants OF Wallace's and
Prentiss' men, wero posted next from right to
left, while McCook, Crittenden and Nelson,
of Buelrs army, in the order named, consti-
tuted the left wing. The slSirmishing Began
early, the advanced outposts Of Mel
of the enemy. The Confederate right
consisted of Hardee's corps, with Chal-
mer's and Jackson's brigades OF BragC's
corps. Gen. Bragg was on the left with the
remainder OF his command, and Clarke's
division of Folks corps and Trahues Ken
lucky brigade. Gen. Breckenridge was on
the left of Hardce, and Gen. Polk fell into
line between Bragg and Breckenridge. From
the beginning of tho contest the fighting was
severe at every point Several times tho
ground was lost and won, batteries were
taken and rctalen, and Federals and Con
and muddy fields through which they had
struggled for the possession of the camps. It
was evident long before noon, however, that
the enemy was being pushed steadily back
and the ground conquered by them the day
before, stubbornly surrendered The
musketry at times surpassed in its volume
and execution anything of the kind yet known
in the war; tents were riddled with bullet
holes; ono tree not eighteen inches in
diameter was struck by ninety balls not ten
feet from tho ground. and mangled horses,
mutilated men, living and dead, broken gun
carriages and all the nameless debris Of q bat
tlefeld were spread around in appalling con-
fusion.
Seeing his troops beginning to lag, and cx-
hausted regiments dropping out Of line.
Beauregard between . and 8 o'clock sent
word to his extreme right to retreat In alter
nate lines. This movement was under the
command of Breckmbridgc, and it is conceded
was conducted with steadiness and with no
attempt to follow. Indeed Gen. Grant, In his
report to Halleck, says that his force was
"too much fatigucd from two days hard fight
ing and exposure in the open dir to drench-
ing rain in the intervening night to pursue
Immediately" Breckenridge that night
car,ped about mile and a half from the bat
tlefield, and the next day moved three miles
further to the rear. The other Commands
with their fragments marched back to their
encampments around Corinth.
In the medical and Surgical History OF
the War; the loss In killed. wounded and
missing on tho Federal side during the two
days fighting Is fixed at 1888. According
to Bcauregard, tho aggregate of Confederate
loss was 10,099. And so ended the battle of
Shiloh. The flag Of the Union flonted once more
along the lines from which II had been driven.
and the FIRST foot prints were made in that
wonderful campaign which, beginning at
Donelson, took definite shape at Corintk and
Mcmphts, recovered the Mississippi from
Vicksburg TO New Orleans, chrystalized in
THE March TO the Sea- and eliminated at
Appomattox Court House.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22


Gen. Breckenridge and Governor Harris, Of
Tennessee, rode to their front and promised
to lead them himself. The hitherto reluctant
soldiers, now reused to enthusiasm by such
distinguished leadership, charged and carried
the slope. But it was at terrible cost to the
Confederates. After he had passed through
the ordeal of tho charge unhurt, chance
shot struck Gen. Johnston in tho leg, sever
ing an important artery. His clothes were
pierced by missiles, the sole of his boot had
been torn by bullet and his horse shot in
four places, but he himself did not know that
he had received a severe wound until Cover
nor Harris, seeing him reeling i'm his saddle,
rode up and asked il he was hurt EYES,"
was the reply, "and fear MORALLY" The
dying general was removed from his horse,
and there upon tho field he had so nearly won
his spirit passed away. This was about 2:30
o'clock Gen. Bragg assuming the command,
renewed assaults were now made on the Fed
eral left, the position was finally turned and
in a couple OF hours more the weary rem
nants of the Federal army were under tho
shelter Of the gunboats and line of thirty
pieces OF artillery that had been hastily gath
cred by Col. Webster, Of Gen. Grants staff,
and now constituted, with its slight infantry
support, the only hope of the army.
While the Confederates under Chalmers.
jackson and others. who had closed in around
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

body OF the enemy, which he supposed to be
Gen. Lew Wallace's division, had appeared
i'll his front with an apparent purpose to at
tack. Under these circumstances the Con-
federate commanders promptly decided to
assume the aggressive, and before daylight
Beauregard had drawn up the plan Of march
and battle, and orders were issued for for
ward movement. It was intended to reach
tho enemy's front in time to attack on the
morning of the 9Th, but owing to tho heavy
rains that had fallen, together with
the failure of one of the divisions to come
up, the formation of the lines was not com
pleted until the afternoon of that day. Al
though Gen. Johnston's headquarters at this
moment were less than two miles from the
Federal oncampment, it does not appear that
tho near presence of his army was even slls-
Dected
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
CONCENTRATING AT coRlNTH.

In four weeks after the excavations of the
Confederate positions in Tennessee, frag-
ments of commands from Bowling Green, KY,
under Hardee; Columbus, Ky, under Polk,
and Pensacola, Mobile and New Orleans, un.
der Bragg, with such new levies as could be
and for the first time organized as an army.
ut was heterogeneous mass,n says Gen.
Bragg, Din which there was moro enthusiasm
than discipline, moro capacity than llnowl-
edge and more valor than instruction. Rifles,
smoothborc muskets-many of th-m with tho
old flint and steel-and shotguns o: oil sizes
and patterns, held place in the Same regi-
ments.p This force, about 40 600 OF all arms,
was divided into four corps, respectively com.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

Tillman's or Briar creek, and runs almost due
north, a mile and a quarter from the river, di-
viding the table land into two main ridges
Oak creek is n continent of Owl creek, and it
extends half way across the front or south side
of the battlefield, passing near Shiloh church, a
small log meeting house situated two miles
and a half in a southwesterly direction from
Pittsburg Landing. For tho most part tho
land was covered with timber or dense
underground, with here and there open fields
OF from twenty to eighty acres.
TWAS generally agreed that the position of
the Union army was strong. Guarded on either
flank by impossible streams and morasses pro-
tected by succession of ravines and acclivi-
ties, commanded by eminences to the rear,
it seemed safe from attack and easy to defend.
But no earthworks were thrown up OF timber
il is still a controverted question whether
tho Confederates were expected until they
came.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
M,CI ERNAND,S WORK

In this affair, the Sixth Mississippi alone
lost 300 killed and wounded out of AS men,
Meanwhile, McClernand had rapidly got
under arms and endeavored to support Sher-
mans left, but his third brigade was forced
back with tho fugitives from Sherman's now
broken lines, with the loss of six pieces of
artillery. Nor were all of the Confederates
in condition to follow. Stragglers were
thronging the captured camps, decimated
commands had retired from action, and the
generals were busy in bringing together their
scattered troops. Beauregard was in COM
mand on the Confederate left and Johnston
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
FACE TO. FACE.

The relative positions of the two armies at
this time were as follows: The Federals occu-
pied "a continuous line from Lick creek on
the left, to Owl creek, q branch of Snake
creek, on the right, facing nearly SOUTH and
possibly little west" Their first line was
held by Gems. Sherman's and Prentiss'
divisions, extending from bridge ON Owl
creek to the Lick creek ford. Gen. Sher-
mans first brigade, Col. Mcdowell, formed
the extreme right; his fourth, Col. auckland,
was west of The Shiloh church and rested on
it, and his third, Col. Hildebrand was east
of the church and also rested ON it, Then be-
gan the line of Prentiss' DIVISION and after
wards, at a long interval, was posted Sher-
mans second brigade, Coz. Stuart, in close
proximity to Lick creek; About half q
mile in rear Of this line was Netherlands
division, somewhat between Sherman and
Prentiss. Hurlbut was massed and in re-
serve to the rear and left of Prentiss, on
the road leading to Hamburg, and a mile and
ahalf behind Stuart. The division of c. Il.
Smith, now commanded by Gen. W.. II. l..
Wallace, was two miles to the rear and sup
porting the right wing of the army. The
artillery was under tho direct command of
the division commanders. The general form
of the line was that of a semi circle, with its
greater arc on the left
Tho Confederate forces were formed in
three lines of battle The first under command
of Gen. Hardee, extended somewhat obliquely
over space of nearly three miles from Owl
creek on their left to Lick creek on their
right The artillery was in the immediate
rear and cavalry protected the tanks. The
Second corps, under Gen. Bragg, was 500
yards to the rear of the First, and arranged
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

Bragg himself adj GEN. A. 8. JOHNSTON
mitted that the troops ''had done all that
they would do and had better be withdrawn
and Gen. Chalmers, who was at the landing
preparing to attack the reserve artillery and
its support, likewise confessed that 1.-THE men
We're too much exhausted to storm the bat
teries on tho hill" Under these circum-
stances, just before sunset orders were issued
to cease hostilities, collect the scattered forces
and be ready TO meet the expected onset or
Lew Wallace's flesh division and Buells
forces at daylight Whether this was an
other "lost opportunity" viii doubtless always
remain subject of debate in military circles.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22

similar to that Of GEN. BRECKENRIDGE.
Folks corps behind Bragg's left wing, be.
tween the Pittspurg road and Lick creek.
Folks and Breckinridge's troops constituted
the reserve, and were to be thrown forward
as the exigencies required in support of the
two lines of battle The total of infantry and
artillery engaged was about $4,000, and there
were besides 5000 cavalry which were chiefly
used for outpost duty. The aggregate of re-
turns make Al 1853 present for duty in Grants
army at Pittsburg Landing on Sunday morn
ing
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
THE END OF THE FIRST DAY.

The scene around Pittsburg Landing at this
hour is indescrbable Even when Gen.
Grant arrived at 10o'clock in the morning,
the panic stricken stragglers might havc been
counted by thousands. Gen. Buell., who was
also an eye witness, says, "the mouth OF
Snake creek was full of them swimming
across Tho number at nightfall would not
have fallen short OF 5000, including those
who had passed down the river and tho
demoralized fragments about tho camps
on the plateau. Men mounted and on foot,
and wagons with their teams, oil struggling
TO force their way to tho river, were mixed
up in apparently inextricable confusion"
Gen. Ammen's brigade of Nelson's division
arriving about six O'clock, were promptly de-
ployed into line to meet any threatened at
tack, but tho enemy fell back, the exhausted
soldiers sought their bivouac and the bloody
work Of Sunday was finished.
The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-22
MIGHT.

The day closed upon a scene that has had
no parallel OH tho western continent. With
tho gathering shades of night came silence,
and the two armies, like torn and bloody
gladiators, but each alert, rested from their
struggle Grants forces had retired to the
camps OF Gems. W. II. l.. VOLTAGE and Huri-
but, while tho equally scattered troops of
Beaurcgord bivouacked in the camps of Sher-
man, McClernand and Prcntiss. Soon after
dark the rain descended in torrents. and all
through the dreary hours tho means OF the
wounded mingled with the pitilcss beating of
The storm and tho sullen thunder from tho
gunboats which every fifteen minutes sent'a
shell far inland to explode and Danish sleep
To Gen. Grant, however, all this was golden
opportunity. Tomorrow" he said, to
group of officers gathered around him at the
landing, "they will DO exhausted, and we win
go at them with fresh men," and when after
midnight no slept on tho ground, with his
head on the stump OF q tree for q pillow, it
was to dream of the coming victory. Nell
sons division was already in sight and Crit
tenden and McCoolS were near at hand, while
Gen. Lew Wallace, with his fresh division,
was present to redeem the error of the day.
In this connection, it will DO remembered
that Gen. Wallace was left to defend tho i'm
mense stores Of the army Mt Crump's Land
ing and to resist any feint of the enemy that
might be made at that point. About IL
O'CLOCK III INC HiOrIlng Orallb nau ScnJ MIN II
verbal order to move his division and form
on Sherman's right, but it was issued before
the Federals were driven back from their
lines. Fortunately, before he reached the
rear of the Confederates, he was overtaken
while on his way by an aide with orders to
countermarch. But instead Of six miles, his
troops were obliged to march fifteen, and thus
they did not reach the scene of conflict until
after sunset.
According to Gen. Buell., 1000 men at the
utmost of the Army of Tennessee. besides
lew Wollaco's r 600 were reodv IN IN l,o no ~